Perception
by complexity66
Summary: SasuSaku oneshot


I know it's a little early, but I couldn't get this idea out of my head.

This one-shot is dedicated to **Sweetmaiden**- I hope you enjoy it!

Perception

* * *

A cough escaped his mouth, followed by blood. He walked drunkenly through the forest. His vision began to blur. His shaky hand ran to the large wound in his side. He walked to a nearby tree and leaned against it.

'_Just… A little further…_' he thought, pushing himself away from the tree. After taking a few steps, he dropped to his knees. Another cough escaped his mouth. His white teeth shone with blood as he began crawling. He ignored the growing pain running throughout his body.

Laughter. He could hear laughter, it was faint, but it was there. He forced himself to stand up, his hands shook horribly.

'_Almost there…_' He gagged as flashes of the last few years passed his mind. He groaned as the wound began growing. His eyes softened as he continued walking through his pain. The laughter was getting louder. Flashes of emerald green eyes ran through his mind. He dropped again and closed his eyes.

* * *

A little girl stopped playing and turned to look at the trees. Her curiosity began growing as she could hear shuffling behind her. She walked towards the trees and looked around. She stopped as she stepped on something soft. A scream erupted from her mouth as she ran out of the forest. 

"Hokage-Sama, there's someone in there!" she shouted as loud as her small voice could.

A man stood up quickly as his smile wiped off his face. His bright blond hair blew slightly in the wind as he followed the little girl forward. His deep ocean blue eyes were alert.

Fallen branches crunched underneath his feet. He came to a halt slowly as he noticed a body on the ground. He dropped down beside the body, concerned. He turned the head slightly as his eyes widened.

"Sayuri… Go get help, quickly!"

The little girl, Sayuri nodded and ran out of the forest quickly.

"Shit…" The Hokage muttered as he helped the fallen man up. He turned and looked at the face again as he smiled.

* * *

"Sayuri-Chan, how are you?" Ino asked, smiling as the wrapped up flowers for a customer. She smiled and bid the person goodbye as Sayuri ran to Ino, breathing heavily. 

"Hokage-Sama needs help! He found someone who's hurt!"

"Okaa-San, I'll be right back!" Ino shouted as she took Sayuri's hand and ran with her out of the small shop.

* * *

Naruto walked into the hospital and called to the nearest medic ninja. 

"Help him, fast!" he shouted. The medic ninja nodded.

"Yes, Hokage-Sama," he said quickly.

Ino ran into the hospital.

"Naruto-! I mean, Hokage-Sama," Ino corrected herself quickly. "What's wrong?"

Naruto turned to Ino and kept his head down. He bit his bottom lip and looked up with a happy smile.

"He's back…"

* * *

She lay in her bed, sleeping silently. Her chest rose and lowered with every breath. Her soft, pink hair flowed over her pillow. 

_Sakura_… A deep, seductive, caring voice called.

The voice ran through her mind. Sakura's eyes moved beneath the lids.

_Sakura_…

She moved under her blanket, her eyes still moving.

"Sakura-!"

The voice seemed to be getting louder. Sakura's brow furrowed.

"Sakura, get up!"

Sakura's eyes fluttered open to see Ino before her.

"Ino… What're you doing here…?" Sakura asked tiredly as she rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes.

"Sakura- he's back!"

Sakura looked up at Ino, her mouth hung open as her eyes filled with water.

"Who…?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

"Sasuke-Kun- Sasuke-Kun's back!" Ino said happily as a tear ran down Sakura's face.

Sakura threw the blanket off her bed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed quickly. She ran down the stairs and stumbled. Ino followed after her. Sakura ignored everything as tears continued falling down her face. She ran as fast as she could, faster than she ever ran before. Sakura slammed into someone, she hadn't even bothered apologizing.

Shikamaru stood up and glared after Sakura. Ino ran up to him quickly.

"How troublesome…" he muttered.

"He's back, Shikamaru! He's back!" Ino shouted happily as she ran after Sakura. Shikamaru's eyes widened.

'_Could she mean…?_'

"Ino, wait up!" he shouted as he took off after her. Ino waited reluctantly, she grabbed his hand when he came close enough and continued to run after Sakura.

* * *

Sakura pushed the hospital doors open. 

"Naruto-!"

Naruto turned around and ran up to Sakura.

"Sakura-Sama-!" A medic ninja called. Sakura turned around quickly.

"We need your help, quickly!"

Sakura nodded and followed after him.

Sakura help back a sob as she looked at the unconscious body.

* * *

Time seemed to slow down considerably. Naruto began pacing back and forth worriedly. He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. 

"N- Naruto-Kun…?"

Naruto turned and smiled to see Hinata looking at him shyly.

"Sayuri came to see me… I- Is everything alright…?" she asked quietly, concerned.

"He's back… He came back…" Naruto said, his eyes becoming watery. Hinata walked forward and smiled as she touched his cheek lightly. She held his hand and waited with him.

* * *

Sakura wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. She smiled and knelt down beside Sasuke's bed. 

"We'll leave you, Sakura-Sama," the medic ninja said as he ushered everyone else out of the room.

Tears began running down her face again. She raised her hand shakily and held onto Sasuke's warm hand. She brushed her lips against the back of his hand as a sob escaped her mouth.

"Sasuke-Kun…" she called out quietly.

* * *

"Hokage-Sama" 

Naruto turned around to see the medic ninja behind him.

"How is he?"

The man smiled and motioned to the room.

"You can see him now, he's fine."

* * *

A small voice entered Sasuke's mind. Someone was repeating his name, crying out his name quietly. His eyes moved beneath his eyelids and they fluttered open. His throat hurt. His whole body ached with pain. But he had to say something, someone was crying. The voice sounded familiar. 

'_Sa-...' _

"Sa-….kura….?" his voice croaked.

Sakura's head shot up. She stared into Sasuke's blood-shot, sunken eyes. The same eyes she remembered looking into as a child. But they were different somehow. Her bottom lip quivered as she raised her hand and brushed his dark, raven colored hair away from his face. He groaned as he tried to move.

"Sasuke-Kun-! Don't move…"

Her voice rang through his ears.

"You're… going to be alright, you just need some rest…" She smiled with joy as the tears continued running down her face.

"Sakura…" he called again.

He wanted to touch her, to wipe her tears away. Her tears had always bothered him, but he never admitted it.

"Sasuke-Kun… Thank you…" she said quietly.

'_No… Thank_ you…' Sasuke thought.

The doorknob turned. Sasuke and Sakura turned their heads to see Naruto and Hinata walking through the door. Naruto had changed, matured. His eyes still glinted with mischief though.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly as he walked over to his bed.

"Naruto…" his voice was still croaky. As best as Naruto tried, he could not hold back his tears. He bent down next to Sasuke.

"It's over…?"

Sasuke's eyes softened.

"Over…" he said reassuringly.

* * *

Time continued to pass by slowly; the room had been full of silence for the longest time. Everyone would be coming to see Sasuke tomorrow. 

"Naruto-Kun…" Hinata called.

Naruto looked up at Hinata.

"We should let Sasuke-Kun rest…" she said with a smile. Naruto nodded and reluctantly got up. Hinata walked towards Sasuke and smiled, her eyes looked at him warmly.

"It's good to see you again, Sasuke-Kun…" she said kindly. Sasuke nodded as Naruto and Hinata walked out of the room. The door closed behind them.

Naruto looked back at the door. Hinata held his hand and squeezed it gently. He smiled and walked out of the hospital with her by his side.

* * *

"Sakura…" Sasuke called out. Sasuke looked up, not having moved from her spot in hours. 

Sasuke patted the bed, wanting her to sit with him. Sakura got up and sat by him. Her hands sat in her lap, she remained silent.

Sasuke moved his hand, wincing slightly. He held Sakura's hand gently. Sakura looked at him and smiled. He wanted to say something, anything. But he couldn't think of the right words to say. She continued looking at him, smiling.

"I-…" his voice croaked out again. "Love you…" he added quietly.

Tears welled up in her eyes again. As she wrapped her arms around him. He winced again.

"Sakura…" he began, unsure that what he said was good or not.

"Thank you…"

Sasuke brushed his lips against her forehead and wiped a tear away from her face.

_I love you_

_

* * *

_  
Well, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot. Review please!

Sayuri- small lily


End file.
